I record quite a bit of high def video. Currently, I use Tivo desktop to offload the content. Then I use VideoRedo to edit the files and archive them.

Everything is great..... except for one thing.

The file size is VERY large.

So what I would like to do, if possible, is record shows with my Tivo, then use some sort of HDMI capture device to offload the content onto my PC. Naturally, I want something that will maintain the best quality possible. And of course, something with a smaller output file size than I am currently getting with Tivo.

VideoReDo TVSuite allows you to save your edited recordings in MP4 format, which will be smaller than the MPEG-2 videos you get off of the TiVo. Or you could use any number of third-party programs like Handbrake to transcode the video into a different, smaller, format. Either option will require tinkering with parameters until you get a balance of size and quality that is acceptable to you.

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There is no capture device that will give you a better size/quality point for H.264 encodings than VideoReDo or perhaps Handbrake will do (after you adjust the parameters). Plus you have to play back the video at real time on the TiVo while the capture device records it. Transferring to a PC and encoding there doesn't tie up your TiVo. If you have a fairly fast PC and network, the total transfer-plus-encoding time with a Premiere can be faster than one real-time playback time. You can automate the transfer and encoding with kmttg, or if you want to continue using desktop to transfer, you can automate the encoding with VAP, link in signature.

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My Tivo premiere does a fine job of capturing the content. But when I offload it to my PC, it takes up 8 gigs of recording space per hour.

There has got to be some capture card, or capture device, or something that can record HDTV in less than 8 gigs per hour. In a nutshell, that is what I am looking for. Surely there must be something which can capture the HDTV content with good quality with a lower file size.

While playing back a TiVo recording?
From a set top box?
From a tuner card in a PC?
Do you want the capture device to be a card in a PC or stand-alone?
Do you want automatic scheduling of captures?

(Don't say you want everything - just indicate which factors are really important.)

Also, unless you want to have TiVo involveed in this, another forum such as the AVS forum might be a better place to ask.

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Preferably, I want to record HD content on my Tivo, and then stream that to a capture device using an HDMI cable.

However, I am open to any and all alternate suggestions.

Basically, I want to record HD television content and archive it onto my computer with little or no quality loss. The Tivo premiere box I have can do this in conjunction with the software from Tivo Desktop and VideoRedo. However, as I mentioned, the file size is approximately 8 gigabytes per hour. I am looking for some way to have a final output file size which is less than this.

I have seen HDTV content which is very good quality and it consumes less than 8 gigs per hour. Surely someone must know how to do this?

I think you would be better off investing in a portable hard drive for your PC that will allow you to store more content on it. Hard drives holding 2T are going to be less money than any capture device you buy.